Cheryl Catchings

Biography

Cheryl R. Catchings, PhD, established the 24-Hour Youth Hotline and was a featured speaker at the National Urban League’s Summit, Youth Crime Watch Convention and a true community advocate. She’s received the BET Trailblazer of the Decade Award, March of Dimes White Rose Awards, LINKS Founder of the
Year Award and the Crystal Reel Award from Florida’s Motion Picture and Television Association for producing several public service announcements for her work in the areas of youth and community issues.
Many gravitate to the energetic and dynamic personality of Dr. Catchings, often young people and parents struggling with difficult and challenging experiences are her greatest attractors. She’s not afraid to share her experiences as a childhood burn victim, surviving an alcoholic family, a former gang member and single parent challenges – she calmly says it gives her the added ability to relate to and assist with motivating youth, reengaging adults and revitalizing communities where she gratefully and humbly serves as a positive role model. Her global advocacy establishes her as an inspiring, motivational speaker, wellness consultant, empowerment coach and strategist for special interest groups and communities. The quotation above is the hallmark of a life dedicated to serving villages and is the mantra by which she lives. Through her works and efforts it’s easy to see why Dr. Catchings has been designated a true millennium “Village Teacher.”
Leaving her thumb print across the United States and Europe, she successfully developed programs which include: A+ Parenting, Town Hall Meetings, Advisory Council for Teens and produced two radio shows, further demonstrating her passion and tirelessness for improving village conditions. She gained prominence for creating a unique after-school tutor-mentoring program partnering high-risk urban youth with students from the University of Michigan, and founding the T. G. Mitchell scholarship for single parents. After a brutal hate crime-gang attack, she and her son founded the positive vocal group Chivalry, established the 24-hour, toll free, anonymous Speakout hotline program still used as a national model for its success in decreasing gang activity, weapons on campus and neighborhood drugs sales.
Dr. Catchings often focuses speaking engagements and training sessions on the coined phrase “layered prevention.” She created, directed and produced award- winning prevention videos, her very own proactive response to violent crime by and against youth. Featured articles highlighting her community advocacy have appeared in Newsweek, Emerge, Creative Youth, and Simply Living. She also appeared on CNN’s Talkback Live. CNBC and her families’ positive triumph over a public tragedy is the inspiration for NBC’s How They Changed America documentary. Dr. Catchings background includes degrees and experience in Nursing, Organizational Management, Counseling, Educational Leadership, Community Psychology and Human Services. She’s written an anti-drug activity book for preschool age children and developed a community-based television show for teens – to empower youth as our future leaders.
You may contact Dr. Catchings at: [email protected] or 321-591-0144